Anna Johnson Lee, 76, passed away peacefully on May 31, 2026, joining her beloved husband, parents, and other family members after a long struggle with Alzheimer’s disease. Born April 5, 1950, in Heber City, Utah, the first-born daughter of Jay and Theda Johnson, Anna grew up surrounded by relatives who lived nearby, and enjoyed an idyllic childhood. When she was in third grade, the family moved to Salt Lake City, then to other various places throughout the valley. She graduated from Hillcrest High School in 1968.

Anna studied early childhood education at the University of Utah. The summer before her last year of college, Anna met Raymond E. Lee on a Lambda Delta Sigma trip to San Francisco. He was the bus driver for the sorority tour. They were married on May 12, 1972, and later sealed for time and all eternity on October 10, 1973. She and Ray enjoyed their life together until he passed away in 2000.

Although she never had any biological children of her own, Anna mothered many. She was a sought-after babysitter in her youth, and was so beloved, the children would cry when their mothers came home. She was an amazing aunt to her many nieces and nephews, giving them treats, taking them out for birthday meals, hosting cousins sleepovers, and joining their Grandma and Grandpa J on many trips and vacations. She dearly loved all of her family, remembering not only the names and birthdays of all her many cousins, but also their children’s and even their grandchildren’s names and birthdays until her memory began to fail. We know she is enjoying a happy reunion with her beloved family who went before her, and whose names and birthdays she can now remember again.

Anna had all different kinds of jobs, but her favorite was driving a bus, including a school bus and tour buses to Yellowstone and all over the country. She and Ray loved to travel and visited every state in the United States, and she continued to travel with her parents and siblings whenever she could after his death.

Anna loved crafts and eventually opened her own shop, Anna Lee’s, in the Layton Hills Mall. She filled her home and life with knitting, crochet, cross stitching, scrapbooking, stamping, sewing, plastic canvas, and more. Every sibling, niece, and nephew has a full set of homemade Christmas ornaments from Anna, and she was always happy to teach anyone who wanted to learn how to do something new. Her finished projects were always perfect—even her many cross-stitch projects were just as neat on the back as the front. She was also an inveterate collector, as evidenced by her collection of over 200 cookie jars and impressive stash of quilting and cross-stitch supplies, yarn, and patterns of all kinds.

Anna was a lifelong member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. She served in many callings, including Primary president and choir director, which was a brave endeavor since she herself could not carry a tune. Her testimony of Jesus Christ was absolute and an anchor to her life.

After Ray’s death, Anna moved in with her parents, and she was their primary caregiver through their final years and illnesses. After their death, she lived in her brother Mathew’s basement apartment, and was always happy for her nieces and nephews to drop in for a treat. Even as health problems slowed her down, she still made time for a daily trip to Holiday Oil for a drink in her red travel mug, which she was never without. She would buy a double drink on Saturday so that she didn’t have to shop on Sunday.

After being diagnosed with Alzheimer’s four and a half years ago, Anna moved to Spring Hollow Assisted Living in Orem, Utah. Her cheerful attitude, interest in others, and her grateful heart made her a favorite. She was diabetic and later lost the use of her arms from spinal stenosis, but instead of complaining she did her best and was always cheerful and positive. In the last weeks of her life, caregivers would stop by her room and tell her family how much they will miss her and how they grew to love her. All who know her feel the same.

Anna is survived by her younger siblings: Jeanine (Stephen) Ehat, Linda (David) Bytheway, Kevin (Holly) Johnson, and Mathew (Carly) Carlile; seventeen nieces and nephews; many great-nieces and nephews; and cousins who will all miss her cheerful hellos and warm hugs. 

Her family wish to thank the Spring Hollow staff and caregivers; her insulin nurses Jamie, Beth, and Erin; Rocky Mountain Hospice; and the Orem 4th Ward for their care and efforts on Anna’s behalf.

The funeral service will be held on Saturday, June 6, 2026, at 12:00 PM at the Heber Valley Funeral Home, 288 N Main Street, Heber City, Utah. Prior to the funeral, a viewing will be held at the same location from 10:30 AM to 11:30 AM. After the service, she will be laid to rest at the Heber City Cemetery next to her beloved Ray.